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5. Power tools the instruments it’s designed for. Read the description of each Arrange style carefully to see which instruments it expects to use. Try out some of the more exotic styles – you may find some very attractive results with more unusual instruments. None of the styles include unpitched percussion, although a few styles do use pitched percussion instruments for added color (e.g. timpani in the Romantic styles, and mallet percussion in the Modern styles). You can of course omit pitched percussion by not selecting any pitched percussion destination staves.
Arranging for band The Band styles are equally suitable for wind bands, concert bands, symphonic bands, school bands, marching bands and drum corps. Read the descriptions: some of the styles produce tuttis, and some use combinations of fewer instruments. Many of the styles include mallet percussion, but unpitched percussion instruments are not included. The Brass Band styles, as the name suggests, are for arranging onto standard brass bands. Read Arranging for orchestra above for general advice about using a variety of instruments and Arrange styles (including Family and Mixed Ensemble styles) to produce the most interesting arrangement possible.
Arranging for mixed ensembles The Mixed Ensemble styles are mainly provided as ready-made orchestrations for use with orchestra, band or other large ensembles. They use just a few instruments each. As with the Family styles, use them for variety to avoid arranging onto all the instruments too much of the time!
Arranging for choir The Choir styles produce various standard choral effects, such as sopranos doubled by tenors at the octave, or the melody on one of the inner voices with the other parts providing an accompaniment, and so on. The styles can be used to arrange onto any combination of voices, so you can create arrangements for SSAA or TBB choirs just as easily as SATB settings. If you want to create a piano reduction of choral music, simply use the appropriate Keyboard reduction Arrange style.
Arranging for jazz ensembles Different Jazz styles for a variety of ensembles, including quintet (which can also be used to arrange for quartet and trio), big band, and trad jazz band, are provided. The Family styles are also suitable for big band and jazz band. Again, vary the style and the staves you select, to produce an interesting arrangement.
Arranging for rock and pop ensembles The Rock and Pop styles include standard guitar/bass/keys combinations (although they don’t arrange onto drums). Give the styles that include an orchestra a try!
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